The Darkness of Morning's End
by Krimsons
Summary: Many things can happen in two and a half years. Naruto returns from his training trip to find Konoha wrapped up in a covert internal struggle that makes it impossible to tell friend from foe.
1. Morning's End

**Chapter 1: Morning's End**

**[notes]**

**This story starts right when Naruto comes back from the time skip and instantly diverges from there. The only differences before this point are some events that take place during the time skip, and they'll be explained in the story. **

**Also, no, before anyone asks, there are no pairings planned for this story. **

**I hope you enjoy reading! And I hope you pay attention to all the details too. They will matter later on **

* * *

><p>Naruto hadn't seen his hometown in two and a half years.<p>

Or approximately thirty months.

Or one hundred and thirty weeks.

Or nine hundred and ten days.

If you broke it down even further into minutes, you would realize that that amount of time would have been enough to consecutively make four hundred thirty six thousand eight hundred cups of instant ramen. It sounds like a long time. And it is.

For the blonde Naruto, the day that marked his return could not have been more perfect. The early afternoon sun was shining brightly high above, bathing the green forests of Fire Country in a vivid hue. The expansive sky mirrored the soft blue color of crystal clear water, without a single hint of clouds. Within Konoha itself, birds were alive with song, and the air was filled with a vast assortment of aromas, as restaurants and food vendors were serving the last of the lunch rush. Citizens of the proud ninja village crowded the streets, the hustle and bustle of everyday life taking them this way and that. Despite being a decently sized and fairly densely populated town, the Leaf village has a very happy and polite civilian population. Even in the crowded marketplace, people don't push or shove or bump into others or make rude comments.

It was to this scene that the student-teacher duo of Uzumaki Naruto and Jiraiya stepped foot within the massive gates of Konoha for the first time in four hundred thirty six thousand eight hundred cups of ramen.

The two Chunin guards, Izumo and Kotetsu, looked on with smiles at the sound of a familiar voice.

"I'm home!" Naruto shouted with glee. He paused in his step to take a sweeping view over the village that he was born and raised in. "This place sure looks a lot better! Even better than it was before the invasion!"

At the time Naruto left, the village had just fended off a two-pronged attack by the Sound and Sand villages, and parts of the city were in ruin.

"Yeah, two and a half years will do that to a place," Jiraiya remarked with a smirk. "Though I wouldn't have been surprised if the city was still half filled with rubble, what with that legendary drunkard teammate of mine in charge," he finished with a hearty laugh.

"I can't wait to see baa-chan! And Sakura-chan!" As he said the name of his pink-haired teammate, Naruto's face visibly brightened. "I bet she's gotten so much stronger!"

"And I bet that's not the only place where she improved," Jiraiya let out suggestively with a lecherous grin.

"Pervert!" Naruto pointed an accusing finger at his sensei while failing to hide the blush that was slowly creeping onto his own face. It only made the old man laugh that much harder.

"You go find that teammate of yours first. I'll go have a chat with the old lady. You can come join us later," the toad hermit offered as he began walking towards the central tower.

Naruto waved his sensei goodbye and watched as the man's retreating back disappeared into the crowd.

"Well then, onto the first order of business!" Naruto jumped onto a close-by telephone pole to get a better view of the village. _'I wonder how everyone's doing,'_ he thought to himself. The blonde was getting nostalgic, seeing all the old places he used to frequent. There was the ninja academy off in the distance, where he was first introduced to the shinobi arts. There was the high rise apartment complex in which he lived. And most importantly, he couldn't see it because of the much taller surrounding buildings, but he knew exactly where his favorite ramen stand was. Each place held so many memories and was so dear to his heart; Naruto became lost in his own reminiscence.

"Naruto!"

He blinked. _'That sounded like…'_

Indeed, when he looked down, Naruto saw that the one who called his name really was his Sakura-chan, standing at the foot of the pole looking up at him with her left hand raised to shield her eyes. The first thing he saw of her was her brilliant, deep green eyes; the same ones that he saw regularly in his dreams. Even as the years went by, the blonde could still never quite let go of the childhood crush that he's had on his teammate since…well, forever really. Without even looking at the rest of her face, he could already tell that she had a smile on. The mirth in her eyes gave it all away.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto leaped down to the ground, smoothly landing in a crouch, and stood up to look at the object of his affection. "How have you been?" he asked with his typical wide smile.

Her smile was still there. No matter the amount of time that's elapsed, that smile still has the very same effect on him. Whenever Naruto sees Sakura smile, his stomach flutters with the wings of many butterflies. That simple movement of her facial muscles makes the rest of the world suddenly becomes a shade duller in contrast. Her bright smile was the sun, beaming at him, and Naruto's body felt like a cloud: weightless and floating in the air.

"Great!" she replied excitedly. "I've been waiting so long to see you," she continued in a somewhat more subdued tone.

"How did you know I was back so quick—"

Without warning, Sakura quickly closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around the now taller than her blonde boy for a deep hug.

Naruto was taken aback by the gesture. It wasn't a quick, fleeting hug that you typically give a friend as a hello or a goodbye. It was drawn out for a couple of seconds, and the boy could really tell that the pink-haired kunoichi meant it and genuinely missed him.

"Wow, you've really gotten a lot taller, Naruto," Sakura remarked as she pulled away. Naruto frowned inside at the loss of physical contact.

"Hehe, thanks!" he replied sheepishly while rubbing his nose. "You've changed a lot too, Sakura-chan!"

"Do I look more womanly now?" the girl asked mock suggestively.

"Yup!"

"Pervert!"

Naruto's eyes widened in confusion. _'Was that a trick question?'_

Sakura giggled at her teammate's cluelessness about her teasing. "Now you'll have to make it up to me by having some ramen with me. My treat!"

Naruto resisted the urge to pinch himself. _'This _has_ to be a dream,'_ he thought to himself. First Sakura gives him a great hug and now not only is _she_ asking _him_ out to what seemed like a date, but it also happens to be ramen, the greatest food known to mankind, and to top it all off, she's paying. _'Yup. This can't be really happening,'_ Naruto concluded in his head. His face took on a sagely expression complete with closed eyes and a slow nodding motion as his body unconsciously reflected his internal thoughts.

He was broken out of his stupor by a light slap to his head.

"Ow! Sakura-chaaaan! What'd you hit me for?" Naruto asked with a pout while rubbing the place he was hit. It was only a love tap and didn't hurt at all, but he was just going through the motions out of a force of habit.

"You don't just stand there nodding to yourself when we're about to go to lunch. That's no way to treat a lady!" Sakura finished with fake indignity. As Naruto's pout deepened, Sakura couldn't help but smile on the inside. _'Heh, same old Naruto,'_ she thought to herself. She was really happy that two and a half years didn't cause him to lose his innocence. He still had those child-like qualities that made him an idiot, but endearing at the same time.

* * *

><p>As Naruto and Sakura walked towards Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto couldn't help but again smile at his good fortune. His first date with Sakura-chan! He glanced over at his teammate. The girl had a serene smile on her face, and looked to be enjoying the warm sun and the pleasant murmur of the joyful street chatter around them.<p>

Beyond Sakura, one of the things that Naruto noticed was that he was getting a lot of looks—he was used to it—but these looks were different. He used to get dirty looks of hatred from most of the civilian population of Konoha as a child. It got progressively better, especially after his great showing at the Chunin Exams. However, now the looks have all pretty much been replaced with…indifference? _'Meh, it's still a step up.'_ Naruto just didn't want any negative thoughts to ruin this great day.

The pair had walked for only a couple of minutes before they ran into a familiar sight.

And what a dazzling sight it was.

There, standing by a stall and looking over the earrings on display, was Yamanaka Ino. Blonde and beautiful. Naruto would never admit it with Sakura so close by, but the blonde girl filled out a LOT more than his teammate did. Being only fifteen, Ino wasn't quit in her prime yet in terms of her looks, but she was rapidly getting there. Her ninja outfit showed off her long, shapely legs, and the tight clothing she wore did nothing to hide the curves that had come in. The lush, long blonde hair was the icing on the cake that made Ino irresistible to countless guys. So you'll have to forgive Naruto if he stared a little, as he wasn't the only guy doing so.

"Ino!" Sakura shouted to her best friend as she caught sight of the girl as well.

As Ino turned to look at her friend, her face lighted up with surprise in seeing the blonde boy.

"Sakura! And Naruto! When did you get back? I haven't seen you in soooo long!" she cried.

"Uh, just now actually," Naruto stammered out. He was distracted by a certain someone's amazing legs as said someone walked up to him. Sakura elbowed him in the side. "Ow!"

"My, are you two on a date?" Ino asked teasingly with a suggestive undertone.

"If you must know, yes, Ino," Sakura replied matter-of-factly with a hint of pride.

"Well it's about time," Ino said with a smirk, "Though it's too bad. Naruto's grown up well, and if you're not careful, Forehead, I might just take a shot at him," she said with a wink as she playfully latched onto Naruto's left arm and tried to give him her best cutesy/innocent seductive look.

Naruto was a loss for words and could only stare with his jaw hanging. On one hand, he was ecstatic about a girl as beautiful as Ino showing interest in him, but on the other, he could feel Sakura getting upset on the other side of him. What a dilemma! Thankfully, he was saved by the appearance of another member of Team 10.

"Easy there, Ino," a lazy voice called out, "the guy hasn't been back ten minutes yet and you're already trying to add him to your trophy case."

"Shikamaru!" Naruto called out happily as the Nara appeared seemingly out of nowhere from within the crowd.

"Yo," the other boy replied simply, raising his hand in greeting.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, Shikamaru?" Ino questioned loudly.

"Exactly what it sounded like, Pig," Sakura responded with a satisfied smirk.

Being caught in the middle of the two females, Naruto was getting nervous.

"Women. So troublesome," Shikamaru said with a sigh. Naruto forced a chuckle in response. Before the girls could get too heated, Shikamaru walked up to Ino and took her arm. "Come on Ino, lets leave the lovebirds be."

"Not you too!" Naruto whined as Shikamaru half dragged Ino away, again raising up a hand in farewell.

Sakura stuck her tongue out at Ino.

Naruto laughed.

* * *

><p>Almost a full two hours had passed as Naruto recounted his adventures during his time away from the Leaf village to Sakura. The two were seated on the worn wooden stools of the Ichiraku Ramen Stand with the remnants of their meal still in front of them on the counter. The whole time, Naruto was very enthusiastic about telling his tale and used exaggerated gestures with arms and hands flying everywhere to make his points. Sakura listened attentively, laughing frequently at the boy's energetic tale.<p>

For his part, Naruto was just glad Sakura seemed to enjoy his story telling so much. Sure, he exaggerated some things here and there to try and impress her: the evil army of countless giant bandits he defeated was more like a hapless motley crew of ten upstart amateur thieves, the luxurious mansion he single handedly built for a homeless family of six was more of a small wooden cabin, and the beautiful princess of Bird Country he saved from kidnappers was more of a little six year old daughter of a tiny shop owner. They weren't lies though. 'Evil' and 'countless' are subjective terms, a homeless family probably would find even a wooden cabin luxurious, and the little girl's father would certainly call her a princess.

"…and then we decided to come back to Konoha!" Naruto finished excitedly.

"Wow, it sounds like you learned a lot with Jiraiya-sama, Naruto!" Sakura said with a hint of pride in her voice. "And I'm glad you were able to help so many people along the way. Especially a princess of Bird Country…I'm sure that'll have great benefits in the future!"

"Eh heh heh…right!" Naruto replied nervously. Deciding to quickly change the subject, the blonde decided to ask about the Leaf. "So how about you? I want to hear everything you've done! And the village too!"

Sakura smiled at Naruto's devotion to Konoha. "The village is doing great! Rebuilding happened really fast, our ninja force is stronger than ever, and the mood around here is generally very positive! It's just that…" At this, Sakura looked down at her nearly empty bowl of ramen with a somewhat regretful smile on her face. There was a somewhat long pause where Sakura seemed to get lost in her own thoughts. As the seconds ticked away, the smile slowly started to slip from Naruto's face as he was getting impatient and the tiny feeling of something being wrong was slowly worming its way into his brain.

"What, Sakura-chan?" he prompted the girl. His voice seemed to have shaken her out of her thoughts as she jumped a little in surprise. She turned her attention back to the blonde and tried to widen her smile a bit, but Naruto could still see the hint of sadness behind it.

"A lot has changed, Naruto." The simple sentence wasn't by itself positive or negative, but the way she smiled and the soft voice in which she said it only helped that feeling in the pit of Naruto's stomach to fester.

"What do you mean?" he asked, silently willing her to elaborate.

"Well…for one, Tsunade-sama…is no longer Hokage," Sakura said slowly, as if she wasn't sure how Naruto would take the news and was trying to break it to him easy.

And she was right.

Naruto could only stare at her with an unreadable expression.

'_What?'_

'_What did she just say?'_

'_That can't be right…'_

Naruto's head was spinning at increasingly faster speeds as he had trouble comprehending the simple words his teammate just uttered. He went over ever every single syllable in his head, trying to understand the meaning of the sentence that certainly had a different meaning than what it was on the surface. Because the idea that it actually meant what it did…it's lunacy! The Fifth Hokage had only been instated for a couple of months before Naruto left on his training trip. There's no way something could have happened in less than three years, unless it was big or catastrophic like the Kyuubi attack was, but then Naruto would have heard about it, or at least seen it when he came back to the village. But everything looked so…normal. There was just no way.

"Uh…what do you mean?" he finally managed to ask.

Sakura's face now adopted a much more melancholic look as she began to explain the events that occurred in his absence. "Well, very soon after you left, this group called Akatsuki started appearing around Fire Country. I know you've heard of them. And yes…we were all told of your…status," at these last words, Sakura's expression dramatically changed, from sad to worried. "Naruto…I can't believe this entire time, you—"

"Not now." At the mention of his status as a Jinchuuriki, Naruto winced slightly. However, there were more important things to talk about right now. It seems like Sakura at least doesn't hate him for it, and well, he can be pitied later. "We can talk about that later. I want to know what happed to baa-chan." Naruto's voice wasn't harsh, but it was firm and commanding, and left no room for argument.

Sakura was taken aback by Naruto's resolve. When she and the other rookies found out about the bijuu inside Naruto, she was shocked to say the least. The prankster, dead-last, hyperactive, happy-go-lucky Naruto held the most powerful demon in the world within him? The thought was ludicrous. It soon started making sense to her though. It explained a lot, like how he managed to beat that boy Haku in Wave Country, how he can make hundreds of Kage Bunshin when even the Hokage can't come close to matching those numbers, and how he was able to stand up to Orochimaru in the Forest of Death. Still, there was a lot that Sakura wanted to talk to Naruto about, and she was sure he would want to talk about it with her too. But now, hearing him brush the topic aside…

"Okay…um, well yeah, so they started appearing in Fire Country, tearing through villages and even the Fire Temple, looking for…well, you." Sakura paused to make sure Naruto was still okay. He was attentive as ever, so she continued. "Eventually, Tsunade-sama created the Nijū Shōtai to track them down. They eventually did, but not without losses. Asuma-sensei…he was killed."

Naruto looked away. He can't bear the idea; that others died because of him. Rage was boiling deep within him, threatening to break the dams of his restraint and flood his body with anger. But no, this is what he had been working on during his training. To control his emotions. The beast within feeds on hatred, and he'll be damned before he gives it what it wants.

"Keep going," he managed to let out between his ground teeth. Sakura was starting to look more and more unsure.

"Well, eventually Team 10 and Kakashi-sensei and a bunch of other Jonin killed the pair of them that were giving us trouble, but it wasn't the end of it. A couple days afterwards, as Tsunade-sama and her guards were traveling to Suna for the Chunin Exams, they ran into another pair of Akatsuki."

A feeling of dread was starting to take hold of Naruto, as he could guess where this was going. His fists were clenched so tightly that his nails were digging into his palms, and his breath and heartbeat were rapidly quickening.

"Those guys…they didn't want to fight. They…they just wanted to know where…where you were…but Tsunade-sama would have none of it. She engaged them. And well…she was…" Sakura was having some trouble continuing.

"…killed?" Naruto supplied. He was already on the edge of his seat, ready to explode. So when Sakura said,

"No."

Naruto let out what seemed like the biggest breath he had ever held. He could feel his entire body deflate and the adrenaline slowly giving way. His entire body was washed with the relief that the one simple word provided.

"She was badly hurt…but alive," Sakura continued, "She's physically okay…but she's been in coma ever since…" she finished weakly.

'_Well, at least she's alive,'_ Naruto thought. His mind quickly took a darker turn. _'Those Akatsuki bastards…I'm going to kill them all.'_ The murderous declaration had no pride or eagerness or boastfulness behind it. It was just a statement of stone cold fact. Like it was already pre-determined to happen, and it was only a matter of time before it came to pass.

There was a gloomy silence as both teens were feeling the weight of the events. Naruto was the first to break it.

"So who's Hokage now?"

"A man named Shimura Danzo," Sakura answered.

Naruto blinked. "Never heard of him."

"I'm not surprised. Not many in our generation had before he was given the title. But apparently he was a really important guy. And really strong. And very serious," Sakura listed off.

"So, he's only in charge temporarily right? Until baa-chan wakes up," Naruto stated more than asked.

"Well," Sakura hesitated, "it's actually gotten…very complicated."

Naruto's expression went from surprised to confused to angry. "Complicated? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked heatedly.

"Well Danzo-sama is rightfully the Rokudaime Hokage. He was appointed by the Fire Daimyo and everything," Sakura started hesitantly, "As for what happens if and when Tsunade-same wakes up…" she trailed off.

"What? She's just gonna be thrown aside? After all she's done for the village?"

"No, of course not!" Sakura shot back, angry that Naruto would even suggest such a thing. "But like I said, it's a complicated situation."

"Sakura-chan, I'm not stupid. I know there's something going on here that you're not telling me!"

Sakura deflated at his words. "Naruto, we're teammates. I know I wasn't the best teammate or friend when we first met, but after everything we've been through…you're one of the closest people I have in the whole world," she said softly as she looked straight into his eyes.

Naruto was shocked. That Sakura would feel that strongly about him…it's something he had wanted to hear since they were young. Words could not describe how happy, how grateful, Naruto felt right now. He wanted to cry. He couldn't say anything, but his thoughts must have been conveyed by his expressive eyes, as it looked like Sakura got the idea.

"I trust you with all my heart Naruto."

Now he was confused. "Erm, I'm really glad to hear you say that Sakura-chan, and I feel the same about you. But…what does trust have to do with anything here? All I was asking is if—"

"We'll talk about it later, Naruto." Now it was Sakura's turn to be stern. Naruto, for his part, couldn't figure out why she was refusing to talk about this. Before he could ask, however, the pair were interrupted by a masked ANBU that just entered the ramen stand.

"Uzumaki Naruto. The Hokage requests your audience," the ANU said curtly in a monotone voice. He then promptly turned and exited, disappearing from sight.

"Uh, okay. Guess I'm meeting this Danzo guy now," Naruto said to no one in particular.

Sakura, on the other hand, adopted a worried look, but quickly smoothed out her face. "Just watch what you say, Naruto. Danzo-sama is not like Tsunade-sama. Like I said, he's very serious, and he won't tolerate your normal behavior."

"Sakura-chan, you worry too much!" Naruto said brightly as he jumped off the stool, "And thanks for the ramen! It was really great seeing you after so long! I'll come find you later!" With that the blonde left the girl alone in the ramen stand.

"No, Naruto. You don't worry enough," Sakura said softly to herself with a sad look.

* * *

><p>Naruto had a lot on his mind as he walked towards the Hokage tower at a brisk pace. By now the streets were much more empty, as it was mid afternoon and everyone was back at work, trying to finish for the day. He had a lot to chew on. With the threat of Akatsuki apparently more severe than he thought and Tsunade still in a coma, meeting the new Hokage really wasn't that high of a priority on Naruto's list. Though he supposed it does make sense that the new guy would want to see him.<p>

The blonde boy had just walked past a shoe shop when he heard his named being called by a somewhat familiar voice. He turned to his left, where he saw a hooded figure leaning against the wall in the shadows in a narrow alleyway between the shoe shop and the next door building.

Once he got out of the initial alarm of being caught off guard, he realized that he recognized the figure.

"Shino?" Naruto asked unsurely.

The figure stood up and turned to face him. "It's good to see you again, Naruto. I've been waiting for you."

Naruto already went through many surprises that day, but this one was probably right up there with the most unexpected of them. Shino? Waiting for him? They've probably never said more than a couple of sentences to each other, ever!

"Uh, good to see you too? What do you mean you've been waiting for me? And how the hell does everyone know I'm back already?"

As a response, Shino silently extended his hand, as if for a handshake.

He wasn't really sure exactly sure what the bug user's intention was, but Naruto didn't want to be rude. He stepped into the alleyway and gripped Shino's hand in a handshake.

"No need to be so formal," Naruto said with some humor, trying to keep the situation light. As he tried to pull his hand away, he felt Shino's grip tighten. The other boy wouldn't let go. Instead, he pulled him even closer so that they were inches away. Naruto's surprise prevented him from saying anything before Shino spoke up in a voice that was barely louder than a whisper.

"Everyone knows you're back because there are eyes and ears everywhere. Watch what you say when you're with the Hokage, Naruto. Don't reveal all your cards. Not everything is as it seems."

With that, the hooded boy let go of Naruto's hand and slowly started backing away.

"What the hell…what are you talking about?" Naruto managed to stutter out.

"I'll find you soon. We need to talk in private," were the last words Shino said before he melted into a swarm of bugs that collapsed and dispersed and all scurried away into the alley.


	2. The Darkness

**Chapter 2: The Darkness**

Naruto felt a chill run down his spine.

"_Everyone knows you're back because there are eyes and ears everywhere."_

'_Does that mean I'm being watched?' _

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a million more followed. It was as if Shino's words had opened up a metaphorical Pandora's Box in his brain. _'Who would want to keep tabs on me? Why would anyone want to? Is that how the Hokage knew I was back?'_

And worst of all, _'Shikamaru…'_

_"Easy there, Ino, the guy hasn't been back ten minutes yet and you're already trying to add him to your trophy case."_

'_He knew exactly how long I had been back for without me saying anything. And…'_ At the next thought, Naruto truly became gripped with panic.

'_Sakura-chan…'_

Indeed, his teammate had shown up not three minutes after he set foot in the gate. How would she have known when he was coming back? Was it just a mere coincidence? No, who the hell goes by the gate if they're not on guard duty or going to or coming back from a mission? None of those applied to Sakura.

Naruto's brain was a whirling maelstrom of paranoia. Each question he thought of spawned two more questions, and no answers were in sight. The fear of the unknown, the possibility of betrayals from some of his closest friends, the adrenaline rushing through his veins; they all paralyzed his body. The blonde hadn't moved an inch from where Shino left him. He was still standing in the alleyway, eyes wide in shock, hand still extended from the handshake he shared with the bug user.

After what seemed like an eternity, the rational side of Naruto's brain managed to weasel in a small antidote for the fast spreading poison of paranoia infecting his mind. _'Maybe Shino is lying.'_

Ah yes. Denial: the secondary reaction of someone who has just received traumatic news, showing up just after the primary symptoms of surprise and panic fade. The denial is sometimes actually correct…and sometimes wrong. There's really no way of knowing.

'_Ero-sennin went to the Hokage tower right away…obviously he would have met this Danzo guy there, and that's how he would know I'm back. And maybe Shikamaru and Sakura-chan saw the old pervert on the streets…he does stand out a lot, after all, and they were coming from the direction that he was going.'_

The more Naruto thought it about it, the more it made sense. He could feel his body beginning to calm, his blood pumping much slower than the hyper pace they were going at just seconds ago. It made a lot more sense. It's not so weird that the Hokage would know who's coming in and out of the village. After all, the Sandaime used his crystal ball to keep tabs on Naruto all the time, and Naruto was sure this new guy would have something similar. But the idea that Shikamaru or Sakura would have spies running around town for them…it was laughable. And laugh he did. Naruto let out a small chuckle at the ridiculous train of thought he rode so far.

But now the problem was Shino. _'Why would he lie to me like that? What's his goal…'_ Naruto thought as he finally start moving again, resuming his walk towards the Hokage tower. Deciding that he's wasted too much time already, he decided to take to the roofs.

A part of him felt bad for admitting it, but Naruto actually had much less trouble imagining Shino as the shady, secretive information gatherer with 'eyes and ears everywhere' as he put it. Naruto has seen first-hand how the teen can use his bugs for espionage purposes, and it's really not much of a stretch at all to think that his bugs can be all over town. _'Besides, he pulled me into a dark alley to talk. That's like the definition of shadiness!'_

By the time Naruto arrived at the foot of the Hokage tower, he still couldn't figure out a motive for why Shino would lie to him. _'Or maybe that's because he isn't lying…'_

Quickly shaking his head of the circular thoughts, Naruto decided to put off the issue until later. Right now, he had more important things to deal with. He was warned by both Sakura and Shino to watch what he says in front of the Hokage, so no matter which one of them is really 'on his side', it would probably be a good idea to be wary.

The change in administration was very apparent to Naruto the moment he stepped foot into the tall building. Whereas the administrative building used to be brightly lit with smiling workers greeting him as he entered, the atmosphere was now totally different, and much murkier. The overhead lights were extremely dim and all of the windows were now heavily shaded, providing for a much darker ambiance. Not only that, but the ground floor was now completely bare, save for a large receptionists desk, behind which sat a single shinobi, working under a desk lamp. On either side of the desk was a masked ANBU, standing guard.

A small part in the back of Naruto's mind admitted that the new lobby looked quite classy. The floors were black marble, with a strip of red carpet running straight from the entrance way across the room to the staircase, with another strip of carpet running perpendicular and going to the receptionist's desk. Said desk was a grand spectacle made of smoke-white granite and the symbol of Konoha carved deeply and neatly into the front. Across the room from the desk, on the opposite wall, was a tall, nearly floor-to-ceiling painting depicting a large, majestic tree. Naruto instantly recognized the tree as one of the symbols of the Leaf village's founding and wellbeing. The painting was framed in a golden rectangular frame, decorated with intricate patterns. The rest of the area to either side of the painting was filled with a couple of other paintings, and a symmetric pair of tall, black ceramic vases, complete with bamboo coming out of the top. All in all, a very ominous-professional look that was made to be stylish yet also somewhat intimidating.

As Naruto made for the staircase in the back of the room, the receptionist shouted out to him.

"Stop! You need to check in first!"

Naruto stopped mid step, a look of mild surprise on his face. _'What the…I never had to check in before…'_

"Uh, okay," the blonde replied slowly as he walked towards the large desk. As he got close enough for the man to see his face, the shinobi's features lit up in recognition.

"Ah, Uzumaki Naruto. The Hokage is expecting you. Please go on up," the man said while jotting something down on a piece of paper. With the darkness, Naruto couldn't really tell what was on the paper. Nonetheless, he decided to not question it and just go before they stopped him again for some other stupid reason.

The top floor, where the staircase exited into a large lobby area, was much better lit. However, the windows were still shaded, and the atmosphere was a lot more subdued. This place used to be quite cheerful, as Naruto always enjoyed seeing Shizune's smiling face sitting behind the assistant's desk. She would always greet him like a sister would. That, and the constant bickering between Shizune and Tsunade, along with the oinks of Tonton, always kept the place quite rowdy. Now, however, it was so quiet that Naruto could actually hear the assistant's pen scribbling away.

The new assistant was a young male, looking to be in his mid twenties. He wore his headband on his forehead, with a long, black-sleeved shirt covering his respectable frame. His brown hair and eyes and his glasses completed a very professional look. As Naruto approached his desk, the man looked up. "Go right in," he said curtly before returning to his paperwork.

'_Wow, people are so much less friendly around here now,'_ the blonde thought to himself.

He again noticed the increased presence of guards. Similar to the receptionist's desk downstairs, there were two ANBU guards outside of the double oaken doors to the Hokage's office, one on each side. The blonde stopped in the front of the doors. He wasn't really sure what the procedure was here. Did they need to search him or something? And do they open the door for him or is he supposed to just go in? Naruto glanced to each guard, waiting for something to happen. But the masked men were like statues and didn't move an inch.

Slowly, Naruto extended his hands to push open the heavy, ornate doors and stepped inside.

The inside of the office looked absolutely nothing like what it did during the Sandaime's and Godaime's rein. By now, the boy wasn't surprised by the change. Bookcases still lined both walls, but the books themselves looked different: these new books ironically looked much, much older, most of them looking like they're about to fall apart. A lot of them in fact weren't even books—they were scrolls.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the Hokage said slowly, as if chewing on the syllables to taste the name. The calling of his name snapped Naruto out of his observation of the room and made him focus his attention on the large desk in the back and the old, bandaged man sitting in the chair behind it. It was the first time Naruto laid eyes on Himura Danzo. He was thankful for that, for the man was not a pretty sight. He wore the traditional Hokage robes, yet Naruto could see the bandages that ran from his face, over his shoulder, and all the way down his entire arm. The visible parts of the Hokage's face were worn and wrinkled, with an x-shaped scar on his chin. A messy mop of short black hair sat on top of his head. All in all, the man looked old and battle-worn.

Not exactly sure what to say, Naruto decided to keep it simple and polite. "Nice to meet you…Hokage-sama," he said. The proper title felt weird to say, as it was foreign to his tongue.

"Sit," the wizened man commanded, as he gestured to one of the chairs in front of his desk with his good hand. Naruto calmly walked to the indicated chair and sat down.

"What did you want to see me about?" the blonde teen asked. He instantly knew he had already said something wrong as the man's face flashed a scowl.

"Boy, you will learn to address your superiors. Superiors do not like questions. Questions are rude. You do not speak unless spoken to first," Danzo said slowly and evenly.

Naruto was surprised that the man didn't yell in anger. The calmness of his tone certainly did not match the words that were coming out of his mouth. Danzo's face was in a frown, however, but Naruto couldn't tell if that frown was intentional or if the old face was stuck from decades of frowning and simply looks like that all the time.

For his part, Naruto had much less success controlling how he felt. No one talked down to Uzumaki Naruto like that. He made it known to the Hokage. "What the hell!" the blonde exploded, "Where do y—"

"Silence!" Danzo's slicing word cut off Naruto mid-rant. Both parties were now in a heated glaring contest with each other. There was silence for all of two seconds.

The old man narrowed his eyes. "Obviously, your two and a half years under the hermit did not improve your manners," he said slowly. "It's just as well. I fully expected your little jaunt to be a complete and utter waste of time."

The rage in Naruto continued to build with every word out of the Hokage's mouth. "I learned plenty from Ero-sennin," he countered. Naruto was trying to keep his anger in check. There was no way he was going to give this bastard the satisfaction of being right about his lack of restraint.

"I'm sure," Danzo continued sarcastically, "However, it is about time the village took control of your training. The years wasted by my foolish predecessors will have to be made up quickly."

Naruto had to close his eyes and take a deep breath to get over the jab at the third and fifth Hokages, both of which he loved dearly.

"I've been doing just fine on my own and with Kakashi-sensei and Ero-sennin. So thanks but no thanks."

"You don't seem to understand, Genin. I was not asking. You will report here in exactly three days time to begin."

The blonde clenched his fists in anger. _'This guy is totally ignoring everything I say!'_

Naruto opened his mouth to argue back, but promptly closed them again. The multiple warnings he received flashed across his thoughts. He decided to just go with it for now. "Anything else?" Naruto ground out through clenched teeth.

"You also seem to need work on your memory as you obviously do not remember what I said about questions." The man paused to let the insult sink in. "You have had the luxury of many liberties under the previous Hokages. That will no longer be the case. As a shinobi, and especially as a Jinchuuriki, your sole purpose of existence is to protect this village. I will see that you fulfill that purpose." As Danzo finished his mini speech, he continued to look at the blonde for another couple of seconds before returning his attention to the report on his desk. "You are dismissed."

Naruto had so much more he wanted to yell at this old geezer for. In the short span of time that he's know the man, Danzo had already insulted his friends, his teachers, his competence, and his abilities. But again remembering the warning he got from his fellow rookies earlier, he decided the best course of action would be to just leave. Thus the blonde quickly stood, turned, and moved to exit the room. He was stopped as he was pushing open the heavy doors by the Hokage's voice.

"You will submit to my will, boy, one way or another," Danzo informed him slowly without looking up from his work.

Naruto brushed off the threat; he walked out the door, letting the massive oaken doors quietly swing to a shut behind him.

* * *

><p>As Naruto exited the Hokage tower, the sky was already painted a vivid orange by the setting sun. The blonde looked towards the heavens and saw the reddish-purple hue that was reflected in the clouds above. A flock of birds flying in a v-formation moved across the vast expanse. Naruto closed his eyes and let the gentle, balmy breeze blow over him. He could hear the now crowded streets, with the workday being over and citizens making their way home or to dinner after a long day of toil. It was really a picturesque beginning of an evening. Most would find the warm temperature and gentle buzz of the masses both melodic and soothing.<p>

Naruto, however, felt none of that. Instead, his stomach felt twisted, with an uneasy feeling threatening to spill over and make him vomit. It had nothing to do with the ramen he had for lunch. No, the Jinchuuriki couldn't shake the suspicion that the calm atmosphere of the village, the blissful ambiance, and the carefree villagers were all some sort of masquerade—a mask—for something darker and more sinister that was hiding beneath.

Deciding he needed to talk to someone about whatever was going on, Naruto headed towards the ninja academy to see the person he trusted more than probably anyone else in the world. He hadn't see Iruka yet since he got back anyways, so this would kill two birds with one stone.

Naruto had a lot to think about as he walked. It's only been a short couple of hours since he returned to his home village, but so much has already happened. From his first date with Sakura to Shino's weird warning to the meeting with the Hokage, it seemed like the day was just going downhill, and fast.

'_Hopefully, this trend won't continue,'_ he thought. As soon as the notion crossed his mind, a part in the back of his head realized that he had just jinxed himself. But he ignored that part of his brain. Ever the optimist, Naruto didn't even want to think about what it would mean for the day to get even worse.

He was cut from his thoughts as he found himself in front of the ninja academy. His feet had taken him there from muscle memory alone, as he hadn't been paying an ounce of attention to where he was walking during his deep contemplations. Seeing the place instantly brought a smile to Naruto's face. He didn't have the greatest of memories here, having failed the Genin test three times and being the dead last. But he did meet Iruka through it all, and his team and Kakashi-sensei and all the other rookies.

The building was empty as Naruto entered, as class was out long ago. The boy's smile got wider and wider every step he took towards Iruka's classroom. He hadn't seen the man he considered almost like a father for two and a half years and anticipation was quickly building. A part of him wanted to play a small prank, so as to make a grand entry, for old time's sake, but he decided against it.

As Naruto opened the sliding door to the classroom, his smile faltered a bit, as Iruka wasn't in the room. The teacher that was there was a young male in the standard Chunin uniform with short white hair pulled back into a ponytail. Said man looked up at Naruto as soon as the door opened.

"Uh, may I help you?" the man asked.

"Oh, hehe I was looking for Iruka-sensei actually," the blonde replied sheepishly.

"Oh," the man stated simply while blinking his eyes. "Did you not hear? Umino-san no longer teaches here."

"What?" Naruto let out in shock. "Why?"

The Chunin frowned at Naruto's loudness. "I hear he was assigned to one of the border outposts or something for guard duty. He's been gone about a month now, and those assignments are usually about half a year. Is this something regarding the school?"

Naruto was too shocked to respond. He simply stared at the new Chunin instructor, agape.

"Hello?" It was obvious from his voice the man was getting annoyed.

"Oh…sorry," Naruto managed to say quietly, "it's something personal." He bowed his head in disappointment and turned to exit the room. "Thank you for telling me."

'_What the hell is happening?'_ Naruto yelled in his mind as he exited the academy. _'Why the hell would they send Iruka to guard an outpost? He's just a teacher!'_

Then it hit him. _'Unless…'_

Naruto felt his stomach drop at the thought. He really, really, hoped he wasn't right. He began to briskly walk towards Sakura's house. _'She would know.'_

As he cut through the park on his way to his teammate's house, he heard his name being called. The blonde looked around in confusion before spotting a beautiful woman sitting on a bench a bit away to his left. The woman had long, curly black hair and red eyes, and carried a small infant in her arms.

"Kurenai-sensei?" Naruto pondered out loud as he walked towards the woman.

"Hello, Naruto," the Jonin greeted with a smile, "It's been a long time. I'm glad to see you back."

"Eheh, thanks, Kurenai-sensei!" Naruto said with a tinge of embarrassment that was visible on his face. "Is that…uh…yours?" he asked awkwardly while gesturing to the baby, not quite sure how to phrase it.

The older woman simply chuckled at his cluelessness. "Yes. His name is Sarutobi Takeru," she said as she looked down fondly at the sleeping form in her arms.

"Sarutobi…" Naruto's eyes lit up in realization. "That means his father is…"

"Yes, Asuma." Kurenai nodded with a sad smile.

Guilt charged through Naruto's body like a bull. _'Asuma-sensei…had a son…'_ He wanted to cry. He wanted to yell in frustration. He wanted to somehow make it alright for this child; a child that will never know his father.

'_Because of me.'_

Naruto grew up alone, so he knows what it's like. What it's like to not know your father. What it's like to always wonder what kind of person he was. What it's like to imagine what could have been had he been there. And this innocent child before him, who had come into the world so pure, was going to go through what he had to go through. He didn't deserve it.

"I'm sorry," Naruto whispered as a sob came out, along with accompanying tears, "I'm so sorry."

Kurenai had a look of sympathy on her graceful features. "Don't be. Why ever would you be? It's not your fault."

Naruto looked up and saw the woman smiling at him with sincerity. It only made the guilt worse.

"Of course it's my fault!" he croaked out in a cracked voice. "They…they came looking for me, and he died…because of me!"

Kurenai frowned slightly and shook her head. "No, Naruto. It's not your fault that they were looking for you, because it certainly isn't your fault for being who you are. And Asuma was a shinobi. We all willingly chose this lifestyle knowing very well the dangers that come with it. Sometimes it just happens, maybe for no good reason at all. But Asuma died for something that was worth protecting with his life."

Naruto looked at her expectantly.

"He died protecting the next generation," the red eyed woman said with a soft smile, "He died protecting you, and Takeru, and all of the other young ones that will one day become the foundation of Konoha."

Naruto bowed his head and squeezed his eyes shut. "I'll protect you."

Kurenai's eyebrows rose slightly add the boy's proclamation.

"I'll become Hokage, and protect you, and Takeru, and everyone else, so that no one will have to grow up without a father or a mother again! That's a promise!" Naruto's voice started soft but his tone rose as he spoke until his promise was shouted, almost as if a pledge for the whole world to hear.

The woman smiled broadly at the Hokage-wannabe teen. _'He really has a talent for finding his way to people's hearts.'_

For Naruto, it was comforting to know that Kurenai didn't blame him for Asuma's death, but he still couldn't help feeling slightly guilty. It only fueled his drive to keep the promise he just made.

The pleasant silence that had descended upon the scene was interrupted as a new figure approached. Both shinobi were so preoccupied with their thoughts and emotions that neither noticed the new presence until he was right next to them and spoke up.

"Hello Kurenai-sensei. I see Takeru is doing well," Shino said in his typical semi-monotonous voice.

Kurenai and Naruto both jumped a bit in surprise at the voice. "Ah, Shino. Yes, he is, thank you," the woman thanked him with a smile.

"Shino…" Naruto was surprised at the arrival of the bug user, but he knew he shouldn't be. After what happened earlier…

As Naruto's thoughts turned back to the odd occurrences of the day, he suddenly remembered what he was off to do before seeing Kurenai in the park.

"Ah, Kurenai-sensei, I forgot to ask you," Naruto said as he turned his attention back to the woman, "Do you know if Kakashi-sensei is around?"

The genjutsu user gave him a wry smile. "Sorry Naruto, but Hokage-sama assigned Kakashi-san as one of the guardians at the daimyo's palace. He said we needed to step up security after the Fire Temple was attacked…"

His fears confirmed, Naruto could feel the sinking feeling return. "Do you know when he'll be back?" he asked with hopelessness in his voice.

"Well, being assigned to guard the daimyo is usually a long term thing. It can be anywhere from a couple of months to a couple of years" was the response.

Naruto looked down with a frown, in thought. _'He's taking away people close to me. But why?'_

"Naruto."

Said boy looked up at the sunglasses-wearing boy who had just addressed him.

"We should talk."

"Yeah, let's do that," Naruto responded, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"Follow me," Shino said as he bowed to Kurenai and turned to leave.

Naruto said his goodbyes to Kurenai as well before jumping off and following Shino. The boy in front of him was moving at a moderate pace, jumping from roof to roof. Before long, the pair of them hit the forests that lined the perimeter of the village. As they went from branch to branch, Naruto realized he had never been to these woods before. He was considering asking Shino where they were before the boy suddenly dropped to the ground, landing on his feet. Naruto followed suit.

"These woods belong to the Aburame clan. We will be alone here," the boy said in responsive to the question he knew Naruto had.

Naruto looked around before suddenly slapping his neck. Some bug just bit him. _'Yup, definitely Aburame territory.'_

"Alright Shino, just what the hell is going on here. Why were you being so mysterious earlier? And why were you warning me against Sakura-chan and Shikamaru? And just what's happening in the village?" Naruto fired off his questions rapidly.

Shino raised his hand to stop the blonde. "First, I was not warning you against Sakura-san or Shikamaru-san specifically, though if they were acting suspiciously, you should watch out for them. The Hokage, on the other hand, has considerably stepped up internal surveillance of the village."

"Why?" the blonde asked.

"He's a paranoid person, Naruto. And for good reason." Here the Aburame paused. "There's going to be a coup."

Naruto's eyes widened. "What? By who! And why?"

"Danzo-sama is a very dangerous person. He stops at nothing to hold absolute power. And though his intentions are for the good of the village, his ways are completely contradictory to what has made Konoha so strong." Shino paused to let it all sink it. "He believes in the old ways, Naruto, where shinobi are hardened through constant battle and are emotionless tools for the village."

The description reminded the blonde of a certain Mist swordsman he encountered years ago and made him shudder. "How the hell did he become Hokage then?"

"The daimyo picked him, against the opinions of our Jonin council."

Naruto was surprised by the fact. He didn't know the daimyo had such powers over the village. "Why are you telling me all this?" he asked suspiciously.

"Because you are a trustworthy person, Naruto. And it is because of that, that we need your help." Naruto couldn't see the bug user's eyes or the lower part of his face, so he couldn't tell the other boy's expression, but the slight inflections in his tone spoke of sincerity with a small dose of pleading.

Naruto responded with a slight smile. "I'm really glad you trust me so much, Shino. But…" he paused as the smile turned into a frown and he looked down in thought, "I don't know…I still barely know what's going on, and aren't coups supposed to be, you know…a big thing?"

"It's for the good of the village" was all Shino said in response.

Internally, the blonde was having a struggle with himself. A part of him couldn't help but agree; he had only ever interacted with the Hokage for less than an hour and he already hates him. But on the other hand…does that necessarily make him a bad leader? Naruto wanted to rip his hair out in frustration. _'I'm not made for all this crap! There's too much thinking!'_

Indeed, political maneuvering was not the Jinchuuriki's strong suit. His entire life, the blonde had always been more of an action type of guy, who preferred to make moves rather than sit around pondering them. While that sort of go-getter attitude is positive in many ways, it's been pointed out to Naruto by numerous people that it's also one of his greatest weaknesses. The old adage of brains over brawns certainly did not apply to him. Jiraiya himself told Naruto during their trip that he's been successful so far because of a combination of determination, hard work, physical strength, and good instincts; but if he ever wanted to become the best, he would need to learn how to stop and think. It looks like the teen is getting a baptism by fire.

A silence had descended upon the pair as Naruto delved into his own thoughts. Shino waited patiently for the blonde to process all that he had told him. After a good minute, Naruto finally seemed to break out of his deliberation.

"So," the Uzumaki began quietly, "if this thing does happen…who's gonna be in charge afterwards?"

"The Jonin will have a vote on it. In all probability, if Tsunade-sama recovers before or shortly after, she will probably be reinstated. And if not, I heard Kakashi-sensei was the previous front runner," the bug user replied smoothly.

It was music to Naruto's ears. _'Having baa-chan back or Kakashi-sensei in charge would be awesome!'_

"So what do you need me to do?" Naruto asked.

"Like you said, Naruto, this is a big deal. If even a whisper of what's going on gets to the Hokage, you can bet that we are all going to be hunted down and killed for treason."

Naruto gulped. He was starting to have second thoughts. He hated the Hokage, but he liked living very much…

"But that's why we need you, Naruto," the bug user continued, "since you were Tsunade-sama's heir in spirit, those that are loyal to her will rally around you."

The blonde adopted a confused look. "So that's it? I'm just supposed to go around asking people if they want to start a rebellion?" Was Shino crazy? There's no way that would turn out well.

"I trust your judgment."

Those four simple words left Naruto feeling slightly better about the whole issue. It was comforting to know that his friends all believed in him so much.

"One last thing, Naruto," the Aburame said, "Watch out for the Hokage. It's no secret he wants you on his side, and I'm sure he will try many ways of achieving that goal. Keep your senses sharp. Trust no one." In the back of his mind, Naruto realized that these morbid warnings were somehow a lot creepier coming from Shino. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that the hooded boy was always serious, or maybe it was because of the way he dressed all mysteriously with a large hooded coat and sunglasses. No matter the reason, Naruto couldn't help but shudder on the inside at the warning.

Naruto flashed a thankful smile towards the other teen. It sounded a bit melodramatic, but the blonde could understand the point that the other boy was trying to make. Shino had cleared up a lot of things for Naruto, and although he was still apprehensive about the whole thing, at least he thinks he got most of the big picture now.

"Heh, sorry I doubted you earlier Shino," Naruto said with an embarrassed expression on his face. The bug boy had already turned his back to the blonde and was already making to jump away.

"No. Not trusting me was the smartest thing you've done since walking through the gates," Shino replied.

Naruto could only stare blankly as Shino jumped away.


	3. Crawling

**Chapter 3: Crawling**

The sound of metal on metal rang through the air. Naruto quickly jumped back and ducked as his opponent sent a kick towards his head. Taking advantage of his position, the blonde lunged forward from his crouch to try and stab the other boy's leg. Said boy narrowly avoided the strike by jumping up; the vertical distance was quite impressive considering he only used the strength of one leg to jump.

Naruto smirked. "I've got you now!" He quickly made a single hand seal and four clones popped into existence, all of which immediately launched themselves up at the airborne target. The surrounded shinobi managed to block the attacks of all four clones, and even managed to dispel one with a punch. However, as soon as he landed, the original Naruto landed a kick to his abdomen that sent him flying back a good 40 feet. The other shinobi grunted and stood up while dusting himself off.

"Hah! Looks like I'm still better than you, Neji!" Naruto teased the other boy.

Neji simply frowned. "I am done for the day, Naruto. It was good sparring with you."

It was the blonde's turn to frown. He wanted to fight Neji full on to see how he stacked up after years of being gone, but the older boy seemed distracted the entire time they were fighting. No matter how much teasing and trash talk Naruto delivered, Neji's eyes remained unfocused and his mind was obviously wandering. Did he even hear the jibes?

"Hey, what's the matter Neji? You seem so out of it today," Naruto asked.

"Thank you for your concern, Naruto, but I am fine," Neji replied as he walked towards the water bottle he brought, "I have just had a lot to think about lately."

"Like what?" the other boy asked in his trademark look of confusion.

"We received a report yesterday about a jonin in the Mist village who has the Byakugan."

Naruto's eyes widened at the news. "What the hell? I thought all Hyuugas lived in Konoha?"

"Yes, indeed we do. This man is not a Hyuuga. He has apparently implanted the eye of a Hyuuga in place of one of his own," Neji explained with ground teeth and a look of anger on his face. It's understandable that he would be mad, as the theft of a bloodline ability is a big deal.

The blonde, on his part, just looked surprised. "Eh? You can do that?"

"Yes, Naruto," Neji replied. "This is not the first case. In fact, your old sensei is a similar case, where he was not born with a Sharingan eye, but was rather given one by his dying teammate. Of course, a transplanted eye can never be used as effectively by someone who doesn't have the blood and genetics to match, but it remains a powerful weapon."

"Ah, I see." The pair of ninja started walking back towards the village together. The silence didn't last, however.

"Come on Neji, that can't be all that's on your mind. You're still so down!"

Neji frowned again before looking at Naruto apprehensively. He was looking straight into Naruto's eyes with a piercing gaze, as if staring into his very soul. Naruto started to get uncomfortable after about a minute of this. Before he could apologize for prodding, however, the Hyuuga spoke up.

"I suppose I can tell you, Naruto, but you must keep this a secret. It's big news that my family does not want the village to find out about until it happens." This only peaked Naruto's curiosity as his franticly nodded his head up and down, swearing to keep the secret.

"Hinata-sama is set to be married."

Naruto's eyes widened. "WHAT?" He cried out. "To who?" He was more shocked at the news than anything else. It was crazy to think that someone his age was already being married off.

"Aburame Shino," was the reply.

Naruto didn't think he could get any more surprised, but at the mention of the name, the blonde froze in his step. The dark-haired boy also stopped after a couple of steps to look back at Naruto with his eyebrows raised. "Everything alright?"

Naruto didn't even here the question that was directed at him. He was too busy in his own head. _"Why didn't Shino mention he was getting married?"_

"Naruto!"

The calling of his name snapped the blonde out of his reverie. "Ah, sorry, Neji, I just remembered something."

"It is rude to space off like that, Naruto," Neji scolded with a look of disapproval.

"Sorry," Naruto responded sheepishly. As the pair walked through the streets of Konoha, Naruto was pondering the issue of Hinata and Shino's marriage. He supposed there hadn't really been an appropriate time for Shino to mention such news. The second they met, it was all business, and a wedding could hardly be put into the same conversation as a coup. _"But still...he could've said something..."_

Neji eventually excused himself after the pair reached the downtown area of Konoha. For his part, Naruto had a lot to think about. He only got back yesterday, but so much had already happened. He really needed someone to talk to about all this, to help him clear his head and figure it all out. Unfortunately, the two people he would normally go to first were both gone, and the third, his teammate, played a role in his mental state of confusion. Talking to anyone else about stuff this big was totally out of the question.

Naruto frowned as his list of options tumbled down to zero. Was there no one he could trust?

The blonde ran both hands through his hair in frustration. "Gah! Ah well, knowing Kakashi-sensei, he probably would've just ignored me while reading his book anyways," he said out loud to no one in particular.

As the words came out of his mouth, Naruto felt the urge to smack himself. _"Of course! Ero-sennin!"_

The blonde felt incredibly stupid for not even thinking of his mentor and best friend of the past two and a half years. _"Come to think of it, I haven't seen the old man since we got back yesterday. I wonder where he went off to..."_

After hours of searching through the local bath houses and adult book stores, Naruto still couldn't find the white-haired hermit. He was long past frustrated when he was struck by his second brilliant idea of the day. _"I'll just contact him through a toad!"_

Mentally patting himself on the back for coming up with such an ingenious idea, Naruto bit his thumb and performed the summoning technique...

...except it failed.

"_What the hell?"_ The blonde was utterly confused. Summoning had long been second nature to him, so it made no sense that it would fail. But no matter how many times he tried, Naruto couldn't seem to summon even a tadpole.

For what seemed like the hundredth time in two days, panic began to creep up into Naruto's mind.

"_Okay, calm down. Calm down, calm down, calm down. There's gotta be a reasonable explanation for this."_

After a couple of deep breaths, Naruto decided to go visit Sakura at the hospital. She for sure would be able to tell him what was wrong. She was always the one with the answers, and plus she's a medic now too! With his mind made up, Naruto took off in the direction of the Konoha hospital, moving at a jogging pace.


End file.
